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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. stem — to come from
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. craft — boats
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. pitch — completely
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. fine — all right
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. pit — a hole
  19. craft — a skill
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — high quality
  24. arm — a part of something

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com